This is a serving tray I made for my wife. It is made up of curly/tiger maple, walnut and pink lyptus. It has a food-safe finish of Salad Bowl Finish and a mineral oil/beeswax topcoat. I used 4-walnut dowels to raise it slightly off whatever surface it is set on and routered handles into the sides to slip your fingers into, allowing just enough room so you don’t bang your fingers trying to pick it up. It was made with the intent of being used as a serving tray, or cheese tray, or hors dourves tray… not a cutting board!

Once the tray was glued-up and leveled-out, I handsanded to 220-grit, then used a cove bit in the router to freehand a cove along the underside of the tray. I have never routered handles into a tray before, so it took a little experimenting. I went slowly, figuring I could always take a little more out, but couldn’t put it back. I routered the handles the exact same depth as the cove so that the lines of the tray were fluid. I didn’t want to have a nice edge going all the way around the piece, only to be interrupted by a different depth for the handles. I just didn’t think it would look as polished and congruent. After that, I drilled the holes for the walnut dowels and inset those with Titebond III. They’re recessed about 3/8”, if I remember correctly.

New tools/techniques/methods used on this project: Being the first time I routered handles into anything, I had to figure out how to setup stops for the handle width. I ended up using my K-style clamps to both hold the piece to the work table, as well as for stops for the router. I also used my router edge guide for the first time as well in making the handles.

Things I’d do differently: I got a bit of dust or lint in the first coat or two of SBF, but didn’t realize it until I had probably 6-coats of finish on it. I’d be more careful in the application of the finish next time, as I had to go back and buff it quite a bit with 0000 steel wool to smooth it out before I hand-rubbed the George’s Club House Wax (mineral oil and beeswax combo.) onto all sides of the board.

Things I’d do the same: I especially like how the handles turned out, being the same depth as the coved edge. I think that detail really helps the handles blend in, rather than being something that catches your eye. Afterall, the handles are a functional detail of the piece, rather than an aesthetic one, at least, on this piece.

-- Jonathan, Denver, CO "Constructive criticism is welcome and valued as it gives me new perspectives and helps me to advance as a woodworker."

Borrow away! Glad you like it enough to consider doing something similar.

I’ll probably be making another one of these, just with a different wood combination/glue-up pattern for one of the Christmas gifts I still have to make. I’ll be using the walnut dowel again for the legs, as I have plenty of it left over from this tray here.

-- Jonathan, Denver, CO "Constructive criticism is welcome and valued as it gives me new perspectives and helps me to advance as a woodworker."